A metalworkers forge contains everything he needs to shape different metals. With his tools, the smith pounds, twists, cuts or pulls raw metal into practical or beautiful forms. A smith cold-forges soft metals, such as gold and silver - he hammers them into shape.

Before he forges a hard metal the smith heats it on his hearth. He uses tongs to lift the soft, red-hot metal onto his anvil, where he beats it with his hammer. As the metal cools and hardens, the smith reheats it. A lump of copper, bronze or iron may be reheated over and over again as the smith works it into the right shape.

To watch a video showing a smith working in the Kano Grand Market in Nigeria, select the following option:

2 MB 6 frames/sec presentation. (low speed connection okay)

Adze Iron Ovimbundu peoples Angola Before 1930
Hammer Iron Ovimbundu peoples Angola Before 1898
Anvil Iron Ovimbundu peoples Angola Before 1898
Tongs Iron Ovimbundu peoples Angola Before 1929